Frost Giants for Dinner
by Rosaroma
Summary: One frost giant, two Asgardians, one Russian SHIELD agent and Iron Man are coming for dinner in the New Mexico desert. Jane is not quite prepared.
1. Unexpected Guests

**Unexpected Guests**

* * *

><p>Natasha sipped another precise amount of tea and lifted her feet off the pile of papers Jane was reaching for. How considerate.<p>

'Tony was really kind to send you but really, I'm fine on my own.' Jane flicked through another stack of work not finding what she was looking for and avoiding Natasha's eye.

The Black Widows presence wasn't putting her at ease, the red flame of hair followed her every move.

'Hmm,' Natasha didn't dignify a response to the claim; It had become increasingly obvious that Natasha wasn't leaving.

The SHIELD agent had shown up three days a go; Jane had no idea where she'd slept or whether she'd brought anything with her but her presence has been constant. Sighing she shoved the research into a drawer and grabbed her keys from a hook.  
>In an instant Natasha was by her side, lips pursed in that relaxed manner that hid whatever emotion the Russian was feeling. Jane tried to slow her breathing and not show how put out she was at not being able to move about freely. The way she worked wasn't originally about isolation, but she had become used to it and craved it more so now.<p>

A loud knock broke through the quiet lab and both heads whipped to the door. Who would come all the way to the desert without calling? Could Thor be back?  
>Jane pushed past Natasha and walked quickly to the door. She tried to pause and brace herself for the meeting she'd been waiting for.<p>

Natasha drew her gun and drew it behind her back; Jane grimaced, there was no way to prepare for something like this.

Pulling the door back she was confronted by a firm expanse of blue stomach that radiated a chill even in the hot desert sun. A grip on her shoulder had her thrown back and Natasha was at attention in seconds, gun trained on the chest of whatever confronted them. Chunks of armour clung here and there, over enormous dark muscled arms that had been lined with scars. Whether the scars had been part of some cultural ceremony or in battle was unclear, Jane's mind ran with the possibilities like rushing water.

The alien body tensed and bent as a beguiling head came down under the doorframe. Natasha loaded the barrel of the gun and took two very deliberate steps backward, pushing Jane as she moved. The scarification on the alien spread from the glow of red eyes to the flat strong frown of a frost giant. Jane's mouth fell open and she was sure even Natasha was feeling unsettled at this moment, though her firm stance never shook as the frost giant stepped through and regained his initial stature.

'Jane Foster,' the giants voice rumbled as her name tumbled out of his mouth.

Jane nodded as the frost giant moved into the room and Natasha consistently moved to block a direct view. Reaching back Natasha clicked a device tucked to her belt and pressed Jane further away from the frost giant.

'I am Vafth of Jottunheim,' his voice was like gravel on the smooth surface of the lab. The windows should have shaken or the ground moved but the desert was unaffected by the strange presence.

'Jottunheim!' Jane realised why he looked familiar, the books Erik had showed her with rich illustrations of frost giants, a gargantuan alien species of very questionable morals. She placed a hand on Natasha's arm realising how much danger they were in. The redhead's eyes flicked to the side questioning the movement silently.

'I see my reputation precedes me,' the giants' frown widened in a sickly humour that took pleasure in her fear. Brushing piles of research aside like errant dust he sat on the lab table and settled in a frozen position of concentration. She really wouldn't find the right piece of data now. The structure creaked but didn't give way. Really well made, Jane thought.

'We will not have to wait long I suspect,' he fell silent though his red eyes never closed.

Natasha edged toward the door that now lay out of the path of the intruder and could be reached with quick steps. A flash of light from the window drew all eyes and a roar of noise announced someone's approach. The door swung outward as Natasha reached for it with a loud bang. The Frost Giant didn't blink as the Iron Man suit stood staring back; neither seemed sure what the other was. Iron Man whirred as he unlocked worryingly lethal compartments from his forearm.

Jane's eyes widened and she was about to step in the way, they couldn't just go into this guns blazing. The Frost Giant sensed the intention and stood back to his full height taking two great steps toward Iron Man and flinging them both out of the door into the hot evening sun. Threatening body language was the same universe over it would seem.

Natasha and Jane ran to the door still too shocked to plan their next move. Natasha recovered first grabbing Jane and running for the car, brought for such instances as this. Tony could take care of himself or at worst escape. Throwing Jane into the passenger side she almost had the drivers side open when a wind picked up slamming it on its hinges. Whipping around she scanned the area to locate the problem.

Iron Man and Vafth were still throwing punches but began to miss direct impact repeatedly. Both took heed of the increasing wind as they began to miss their opponent entirely. Lightning landed exceedingly close to Vafth and his eyes rose expectantly at the churning sky, he brushed chunks of sand that plastered to his shoulders to the ground. Jane unclipped her seatbelt, so sure of whom was coming this time that her fingers shook as she tried to open the car door. If her heart didn't slow down she might have a heart attack and miss everything that was about to happen.

Another clap of lightning and great rushes of desert sand were thrown as a large body collided with the ground. A second crash came as Loki landed on the roof of the car, sardonic grin in place. The red of Thor's cape mingled with the orange sand and the green of Loki's draped over the bonnet of the car as he stepped down purposefully humorous.

'Vafth, you do too much,' Thor swung Mjolnir threateningly and the ringing of strength built as he walked toward the giant. The sky had covered over to darkness like night and thunder crumpled the edges of lightning filled clouds. The sound was terrifying and Jane almost faltered, but Thor would not hurt her. Lightning landed right next to her foot as she stepped forward pulling Thor's attention. His brow furrowed and then he turned on Loki.

'Do not play with me brother, not at a time such as this,' the light haired Aesir swung Mjolnir back into his waiting palm and Loki just smirked. Jane huffed and headed into the eye of the storm, to Thor.

'You came back,' she wanted to reach for his hand but Mjolnir glowed ferociously by his side.  
>Thor's face broke into a sad grin as he turned to her. 'My Jane,' he said, 'you fair well until this moment. Heimdell warned me of your visitor.' His strong sure voice had been missing from her life for too long.<p>

'Heimdell warned you of nothing,' Loki said sidling up beside his brother. 'If I hadn't been following curiosity where it would take me, you would never have known the frost giants had come here.' Loki's eyes raked over the small physique of Jane Foster and her tired clothes that spoke of days of work and no sleep. What an intriguing choice for his brother to have made.

He had not intended to help the mortal, but the chance for revenge on the frost giants outweighed his dislike of Midgard.

Vafth towered over Thor and his breathing echoed loudly in Jane's ears, she wished she had not taken her wary eyes off the Frost Giant but now he stood too close for her to move.  
>'The last time you visited our world, many died.' The giants' words whispered in Jane's ear though they were for Thor.<br>'This change of location may tip the tables in our favour,' Vafth growled. He had learnt of the Aesir's connection to the Midgard world and determined to use it against him.

Thor's fury tightened about Mjolnir but he reigned in the pride that had originally landed him on Earth and waited for Vafth's move.

'Such delicate things like these,' enormous frosted fingers ran through Jane's hair sending chills down her back, 'you would leave them lying around unprotected? How foolish.' Jane's hand shot out and accidentally tangled with Loki's as she clung tightly to the closest being. The dark Aesir prince twitched at the unusual placing of trust and assumed she must have lost her mind. Fear did strange things to unsuspecting mortals.

Thor noted with outrage the touch and decided to unleash his anger upon Vafth, he was not after all completely changed. A collision of hammer and head sent the enormous form of blue flying across the desert and thumping into the labs outer wall, cracking plaster as he fell. 'Jane get away from here,' Thor said running to deliver his second blow not looking back.

Loki's smile grew but Jane pulled her hand from his and ran after Thor. The absence was strange and his hand clenched after something he hadn't known was missing.

'Wait!' she cried dodging lightning fire as though she could actually outrun a bolt of electrostatic discharge if it chose her. The Midgardian was either dense or immensely courageous to do such a witless thing. Iron Man slammed into her path grabbing her around the waist and pulling her with him they shot across the sky and landed beside Natasha.

'Are you mad?' Tony's voice broke through as his helmet came up. 'You want to what, try and break up a fight between giant alien races with your bare hands?'

Black Widows eyes remained trained on the bowling over of Asgardian and then Jottun in turn. Loki had become involved; bored with the fair fight he was tripping Vafth and vanishing before he could be blamed.

Vafth stood and delivered another scathing blow before he could be taken down. The red of Thor's cape whipped the air as the blue frost giant thumped sounds like thunder into his armour.  
>'Come brother, lets finish this,' Loki whispered imploringly appearing by his brothers' side. What was another dead frost giant in their hands? So many had died and this one was particularly self-starting as to be an actual challenge.<p>

'Don't!' Jane's voice really carried this time and Thor and Vafth broke apart to observe her. Both panted for breaths long held, blood spattered across armour and down tensed muscles. Loki worked his jaw but listened well for what the Midgardian could possibly contribute to this war of many ages.

'I think we should talk about this,' Jane held out her hands in an effort to placate all sides and began to approach again, a sceptical Tony and Natasha close in tow.

'You know not what you speak of Jane,' Thor looked away from the woman he loved. How beautiful she looked framed by lightning and swirling sand, so brave in his eyes that he could not behold her.

'Maybe not, but you could all explain it to me. While we eat,' Jane's mother had always said to cook for people she was furious with. It melted harsh feelings faster than anything else and she just wanted to subdue the situation, stop the fighting before someone died.

'I could do with something to eat,' Tony said brightening. He hadn't eaten the entire flight over; he would have to talk to Jarvis about a way to fit the suit with food. It was easier to fight on a full stomach anyway.

'We eat,' Vafth boomed heading for the house leaving a stunned Thor wiping blood from his mouth. Maybe the Jottun wouldn't be so bent on violence if they would be willing to talk.

Everyone followed inside finding places to sit as Jane emptied the contents of the fridge onto the counter and tried to work out what to cook for six very different people. Natasha perched purposely beside the food, brooking no argument of her continuing shadow. Tony's appetite was probably as immense as Thor's; everyone else in this room however remained a culinary mystery for this harassed astrophysicist.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter made me hungry, anyone else? Want more, you'll have to review...<strong>


	2. To Ice a Heart

**AN: There's some humour early on, but things start heading south with Odin's arrival. This chapter works on the basis that Loki was not found out for letting the Frost Giants into Asgard in Thor. So Thor was still banished and sent to earth, but Loki did not openly betray his family as far as they know, he has however been up to all the mischief Loki is known for.**

* * *

><p><strong>Frost Giants for Dinner<strong>

**Chapter 2: To Ice A Heart**

It shouldn't have been funny, truly, but the different reactions to the bowls of ice cream being handed out were however causing Jane to laugh silently. There hadn't been enough of anything to salvage any kind of meal, but desperate to get them eating before things came to blows Jane had gone for the endless supply of ice cream. Having an enormous desert freezer came in handy at the oddest of times.

Natasha took her bowl and remained perched atop the kitchen side, small spoon in hand as she grazed the ice cream. Jane surmised It would take hours to eat all of it this way. Tony had found a half full shaker of sprinkles and poured without shame until you couldn't be certain what was beneath the crystallised rainbow of colours.

"Sweet tooth?" Jane asked grimacing at a dentist's worst nightmare.

Tony grinned and stuck a large spoon of it in his mouth. "Amazing, top dollar," he winked at her and continued to scoff.

Thor came up close to her and Jane blushed raising the bowl up to his enormous waiting hand. His eyes remained on hers as he stepped back, in deference to the company they held, they would have time later. It felt good to be in his company again, even with the mix of odd companions currently surrounding them.

Jane grabbed two more bowls and taking a breath, approached the frost giant first. He inclined his sizeable head and took the bowl spreading frostbite unintentionally up the sides of pale human fingers. Lifting an entire scoop into his mouth in one go without preamble, Jane realised this was the perfect meal for a frost giant. She broke into a smile, feeling pretty accomplished as cultural delegate of the moment.

Walking toward the door to give the last bowl to Loki, Jane found he had vanished. Considering he had barely moved a muscle since entering her house she found this odd, the man had been a statue. Turning back to scan the rest of the room, she came face to chest with long cold black armour, before she could gasp he was back where she had expected him to be, whipping around she stared at the entire space in which the scientific phenomena had just occurred.

Several other occupants of the room obviously didn't find it as interesting as Jane, or as amusing as Loki. Natasha's gun was pressed against Loki's chest, Thor's hammer was firmly in his grasp, though Jane guessed this was only in light warning and Tony was hovering marginally closer to his suitcase.

"Your ice cream," Jane said pushing the bowl into his hands and walking back to the relative calm of the fridge. Natasha didn't holster her gun, but laid it next to her as she slid back on to the counter top. Jane was glad to hide behind the fridge door, and be blasted with the chilled air of common sense, she wanted to slap herself for bringing a war conference into the only house she had. Grabbing a carton of milk she drank from it and was just lifting her spoon from the counter top when it vanished.

Spluttering, her eyes raced across to Natasha's gun and back to the jar of sugar finding no evidence that a spoon had been anywhere near.

A purposeful clink of cutlery against pottery drew her gaze across to the smirking princes face. _Loki_, he had her spoon dipped in his ice cream and was lifting it to his mouth, gaze fixed purposefully away from her.

Thor placed his bowl down having remembered Jane's cry of reprimand in the diner so long ago. "Vafth, for our part in your losses I am grieved," Thor said, "But you go too far coming to Midgard."

Vafth's fists clenched, shattering the bowl that had been consumed by his grasp. "Thor Odinson, frost giants will travel where they please."

"Even if that happens to be, oh, into the vaults of Asgard?" Loki said with an edge in his voice.

"You, trickster know why those frost giants were there better than I." Vafth said, hateful red eyes trained on Loki's.

"Accusations, from a frost giant hold no merit on Midgard as in Asgard," Thor said swaying Mjilnor at his side. The frost giant snapped his head from one prince to the other.

"Brotherhood, however false holds true amidst these lies." Vafth said in disgust.

Tony shifted back toward the fridge. "Family themed insults tend to get ugly," he said scooping another bit of ice cream without taking his eyes from the tense stand off. Natasha nodded in agreement and scraped some of Tony's ice cream with her spoon.

"Hey, only Pepper gets to share my food." Tony said looking askance. "What will she say if I return all malnourished because an ex Russian spy ate a half a bite of my food?"

'What the…' Jane shielded her eyes as a bright light rose and flooded the entire house. Had shield shown up? They tended to like to make an entrance, but really, flood lights?

Tony was thinking much the same thing as he threw the door open. 'Hey Fury, is this really necessary?!' he shouted over the high winds that had picked up while they had been eating.

The light dimmed again, and there glinting in the dusk desert light was Odin Allfather. He was astride Sleipnir, the steed threw his eight legs wildly as though hounds bit at him. Odin whispered in his ear and the horse stilled in the gritty cloud he had created with heavy hooves.

'Father?' Thor pushed past Tony and bowed to Odin with his fist pressed to his chest, 'How did you know of our journey to Midgard?'

Odin's face warmed as he looked on Thor but the warmth fell away as his eyes sought out Loki. 'Heimdell was seeking you when he overheard news, which to my ears, I could not believe.'

Jane looked at a face lined with ages, she had never felt such presence, he put Thor in darkest shadow, but what caught in her throat was the disappointment he rained down on Loki.

Loki's stomach tightened as he looked into the Allfather's old eyes. Wisdom found him and saw him, for what he had done. He did not approach, nor bow.

'You helped the frost giant's into Asgard, realm of your forefathers before you?' The charge was heavy in the Allfather's calm voice.

'My forefathers? I think we both know you are mistaken,' Loki spat as the anger bubbled up inside him.

'You are my son.' Love was mingled with grief.

'What more than that?' Loki took one advancing step. 'The ice casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim was it?!'

All stilled as Odin stared back into the eyes of his second son. 'No. In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple and found a baby. Small for a giants off spring, abandoned, suffering, left to die, Laufey's son.'

'Laufey's son?' Loki's mind reeled, he had tried to kill Laufey on more than one occasion and in turn Laufey had tried the same.

'Yes'

'Why did you take me? You were knee deep in the blood of Jotun's.' Loki glanced back at the tall bleak form of Vafth, how could _this_ be his heritage? 'It was for a purpose.'

Odin remained silent.

'Tell me!' Loki roared, he had never raised his voice to the Allfather in this manner these many years.

'I hoped one day to bring about a peace, a permanent alliance, but those plans no longer matter.' Odin gripped his staff for support. 'You have betrayed Asgard, joined with our enemy and sought to take away our means of defence. You have learned nothing from your brothers example,' Odin silenced Thor's protest.

Jane wanted to intervene somehow, to help, family was still family.

'Loki Odinson, you have betrayed the trust of your people. Through your vacuity and ill judgement you have opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to a threat of the gravest kind, the potential annihilation of our people.'

He advanced on Loki and he saw the moments as though they were still happening to Thor. He was twisted with boiling sickness inside and out at the damning words.

'You are unworthy of these realms,' he pulled the metal plates from his armour. 'You are unworthy of your title,' he tore the cloak from his back. 'You are unworthy!' his voice seemed to echo around the desert landscape.

A tear pooled in Loki's eye as he was fixed in his fathers glare, he could not blink and look away without spilling it.

'Unworthy…' Odin staggered.

Thor ran forward to bear his weight, 'father!'

Jane had clenched a hand over her mouth early on in the proceedings to stop herself from shouting input, but now it fell away as Thor kneeled with his father in his arms. Surely she should go over there and do something.

'No, no, no,' Thor was saying to himself as his hands ran over his father's face. 'Heimdell, open the Bifrost.'

There was a pause and then the clouds began to part and swirl as the astounding Einstein-Rosen bridge emerged from the other side of the universe. It fell as a heavenly light over Thor and Odin. Thor looked at Loki, neither moved, neither sure they trusted the other, and then they were gone.

Loki stood in the cold desert night with Jane Foster standing dimly at his side. Natasha and Tony were refocusing on the frost giant as he began to look to the stars.

'I will get Laufey,' before anyone could protest Vafth had left, on a path they could only guess to reach Jotunheim.

Loki seemed to snap out of the trance he had been in and pitched forward. Jane grabbed him from the side and he swung toward her and grabbed her shoulders. All his family in the world was confirmed to be none of his.

'We need to go, now.'

Jane's brow furrowed and then it clicked, 'Laufey.'

'Exactly.' He was glad of her tiny frame that stopped him falling. If he had reached the ground he was not sure he could have gotten up again.

Soon, the smallest amount of Jane's gear possible, which was a substantial amount, was thrown into the back of Natasha's car and Tony was insisting he could replace or better anything she was missing. The threat of arriving frost giants meant no hanging around.

'You better,' she warned a finger pointing at his chest over the car before climbing in and slamming the door behind her.

Tony jumped in shotgun next to Natasha as she skidded away from the target that would have been drawn on their back.

Jane was sitting in the back beside Loki, 'you should probably put your belt on.'

'My…' Loki's eyes moved back and forth, he looked completely drained even in the scant light of the back of the four by four.

'Here,' Jane reached across him and grabbed the strap by his shoulder. His eyes glued to hers in surprise at her sudden proximity, but she moved back and pulled something tight across his chest and down under the hand that lay between them.

'You're as human as the rest of us now,' she said with a sad smile as she clicked it into place. 'This should keep you safe.'

She turned to look back out the window, not seeing anything more than the faint horizon.

'Should?'

'Well, I may not be driving, but Natasha seems like she would go off road without blinking.' She hummed respect as she looked at the redheads steady hands on the wheel.

'You know, I hit your brother with my car twice the last time he was here.' Jane admitted.

Loki cracked a smile then, 'really?' He noticed the way sadness tipped over her attempt at humour. His brother had come back, she must have been waiting, and in the end he had forgotten her.

They carried on driving under the starry night sky, making alarming progress toward their destination. As a lover, a father and a brother had left them, possibly forever, who would return for these uprooted souls?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So glad to have carried on writing this story. That was a lot heavier than previously planned, would you like more humour in the next chapter? Not that I'm promising. ;)<strong>


End file.
